TITLE:
Does Money Fly? The Economic Value of Migratory Birdwatching in Xochimilco, Mexico
AUTHORS:
Daniel A. Revollo-Fernández
KEYWORDS:
Contingent Valuation, Migratory Birdwatching, Urban Wetland, Xochimilco
JOURNAL NAME:
Modern Economy,
Vol.6 No.6,
June
8,
2015
ABSTRACT: This paper estimates the economic value that national and international
birdwatchers have to keep an urban wetland in this case, Xochimilco (Mexico),
as a place of rest, food and/or shelter for migratory birds from North America.
For this purpose, it is resorted to surveys and contingent valuation that
estimates the willingness to pay (WTP) per year of these watchers. The best estimate
indicates that national watchers are willing to pay approximately US $79 per
year, while international, US $296. Using these estimates, it is calculated
that the economic value of the bird migration environmental service for this
urban wetland is located between US $2836 and US $3999 per hectare. This found
value can work as an input for decision makers when faced with projects and/or
policies that may face different objectives.